I can relate to that. I managed a site that required me to table stats for sports teams. There were about 22 tables - 12columns - 10 rows each. I'd have to update the stats - weekly. You can't image how tedious it was! Fortunately, I asked here, and found out I could cut my labour drastically in Dreamweaver.

So, sure, I'd do simple page layouts in notepad - but for complex or nested tables (especially those you plan to edit), Notepad just didn't cut it. I use the two together.

I am new to geek talk and trying to get a feel for the group. I must say I am rather surprised at the number of folks using WYSIWYG editors!

I am a hand coder - always have been always will be. I am also a part-time teacher for a university's continuing ed program and have to explain frequently to my students why they shouldn't use WYSIWYG editors if they wish to become professional web developers. Most notably, FrontPage is not something a professional web developer should use : it is something that only your grandparents parents should be using to create a little homepage for themselves. My teenaged daughter even codes by hand so if she can ....

Before I start a war though, please let me clarify my role - I am a web programmer (aka web systems developer) and not a web designer. I implement what the designers want and add in the functionality to allow sites be database driven or any other cool stuff that isn't implemented with straight html. For smaller, static html sites I do think that some of the WYSIWYG editors are capable of doing a relatively decent job of coding BUT in my 7+ years of experience in the field, I have seen various editors through the years and have never been satisfied with their ability to create code that is clean (light weight), cross browser compliant, able to make working in a team environment easy (especially of issue for fusebox applications) or generally easy to work with.

First leaned to code pages using pico on a Unix box in 1994. Continued in that environment until 1997 (yes, I do know how to use vi but I really prefer pico). Now I use a combination of HomeSite (home and consulting) or Cold Fusion Studio (work place) or sometimes even Notepad when I teach.

Whenever I have tried to use DreamWeaver to get the tight layout and control that I need I always end up more frustrated (new job wanted me to use it - fortunately that ended quickly and I got my Cold Fusion Studio). I have always wanted to sit down next to another coder who was profiecient at using DreamWeaver and have us both try to code the same complicated page to see who could do it most quickly AND end up with a page that was rendered equally cross browser/cross platform and light weight with no extra goobly-gook.

I'd never even tried a wysiwyg editor until recently... the funny thing is that I couldn't figure them out, too many buttons, too hard to find the code snip I wanted.

I tried a couple different ones and after many frusterating hours I ended up giving up and going back to my original way... draw the design on a piece of paper (Pencil crayons are helpful here), draw lines where tables should go to hold the layout, make notes about color, fonts etc... then open up NoteTab and start typing it out.

Believe it or not, this is still the easiest way for me. LOL!

I've had a LOT of people laugh seeing me sitting on the floor with my pencil box, doodling like a 5 year old.... but to tell the truth, I enjoy designing more this way!

I actually learned to code HTML via a text editor (notepad), then jumped to Frontpage when I started messing with larger web sites.

Now, almost 6 years later (I'm 25 now), I use Frontpage 2k/2k2 for overall maintenance and keeping track of the navbars in my 350+ page humor site, but won't hesitate to code by hand if I need extra precision. (I'll actually spend about 25 - 50% of my time in the HTML mode of Frontpage or using notepad.)

Dreamweaver is a nice program, as well, but the fact that I'm a college student (and need money for minor things like bills, books, and food) keeps me from buying it.

I'd also have to say that newbies should definitely learn to code by hand first before jumping to an editor like Frontpage or Dreamweaver. It's not the easiest thing to do, but you'll be able to find and correct coding when (not if) WYSIWYG editors do strange things to your pages.

Coming out of the computers area and not the design I also (off cource) prefer the good old ways of raw HTML.
My first tryls on HTML were before there even was a thing like Notpad. when it came I have triad netscape composer but ddin't like it.
Now I am working with AceHTML.
It is a text based like good Ol' Notpad (that I still use from time to time) but also mark the text in colors like in the programing editors upon I have learnd Pascal and C++.
It also have some nice options to Incert and modefiy stuff on the editing area what make it very fast to work with.
One of it's nices things is a preivew window to see the page. This preview page can be made to simulate diferand screen sizes and is very easy and good to work with.
O yes - It's FREE !!!